Screw-blank feeder



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. W LOOMIS.

SGRBW BLANK FEEDER. No. 264,040; Patented Sept. 5, 1882.

Fig. V is a view of the track.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. LOOMIS, OF HOLYOKE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TO RUFUS ORITTENDEN,()F NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SCREW-BLANK FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,040, datedSeptember 5, 1882.

Application filed April 10, 1882. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.

' Be it known that I, HENRY W. LooMts, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Screw-BlankFeeders for Screw-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the details of the construction ofscrew-blank-feeding devices for screw-machines, the object being toprovide improved mechanism for taking at regular intervals a number ofscrew-blanks from a mass thereof, causing them to be arranged in a row,with their heads all in one direction, and'to be deposited in likeorderin a suitable guide-track to be conveyed to the usualscrew-finishing mechanism.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure I is a sideelevation, partly in section, of screw-blank-feeding devices constructedaccording to myin'vention, and shown in conjunction with a part of ascrew-machine. Fig. II is a similar view to Fig. I, but showing parts ofthe machine in a changed position.

Fig.1IIis an end elevation of the hopper. Fig.

1V is a plan view of the pivoted slotted finger. Fig. VI is a transversesection of the liftcr,finger, and hopper on the line at 00, Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A indicates a part of the frame of ascrew-machine. Bisa post on frame A. D is the blank-hopper, supported on post B. c is thelifter. e is a cam-block on the bottom of said lifter. dis a cam fixedon a proper shaft on frame A. his the slotted finger. t is the track.

The blank-hopper D is constructed of the form, in transverse section,shown in Fig. VI, and has an opening in the bottom of suitable width andlength to permit the lifter c to be moved up and down therein. Thelifter c is made of such depth as to allow it to be elevated within thehopper D, to carry its upper edge from the bottom of the latter upnearly to its top, having a cam-block, c, secured to its bottom, whichrides on the periphery of a revolving cam-wheel, d, which is hung on asuitable shaft in frame A under said lifter. The upper edge of lifter cis adapted to receive upon propersupporting-blocks therein,in ahorizontal position, the slotted finger h, the latter being pivotallyconnected at one end to said lifter by the screwsc c or other suitablemeans, and having its pivoted end extending slightly beyond the end ofsaid lifter, as shown. The said projecting end of the finger h isprovided with short arms 2 e, as and for the purpose hereinafter setforth. Said finger h is made with a slot adapted to the diameter of thewire from which the screw-blanks are made, which it is to operate upon.Thus in practice several fingers, each having slots therein of differingwidths, are provided for each lifter and hopper, so that any sizedscrew-blank may be fed thereby. A curved slotted track, 1', is properlysecured by one end to the end of the hopper D, the width of the slottherein being adapted to the width of the finger h, which operates inconjunction with it, and its end, which is secured to said hopper, islocated opposite the pivoted end of said finger h, and is provided witha short arm or projection, as shown, for engagement with the arms 2 a onthe end of said finger, and the adjoining ends of said finger and track,when the lifter c is in an upward position, are slightly curved abovesaid armszz.

In practice the frame A of the screw-machine supports suitablescrew-finishin g devices adapted to receive and operate upon thescrewblanks which are conducted from the hopper by the track 5.

The operation of my improvements is as follows: The screw-blanks aredeposited in the hopper D in a mass, the lifter a being down, bringingthe finger h to the bottom of the hopper, as in Fig. I, and the machineis set in motion, causing the cam-wheel cl to be revolved against .theblock 6 and the lifter and finger h to be slowly forced up through theblanks within the hopper. many of the blanks are encountered by it,which lie in a line with the slot therein, and the bodies thereof dropthrough said slot and said blanks hang in said finger by their heads, asshown in Fig. II. The lifter continues to As said finger moves up riseand carries the arms 2 on the pivoted end the track 2', by which theyare eondneteddownl ward and brought to asuitable position for theaforesaid finishing-tools to seize them.. The object of theabove-mentioned curved form of the adjoining ends of the finger lb andthe track 4; is to prevent any of the said blanks from being caughttherebetween when said finger is swinging up. The blanks having beendischarged from said finger, the lifter moves down, and said fingerswings back to ahorizontal position therein, and the lifter havingcarried the finger down through the blanks to the bottom of the hopperagain, the above-described operations are repeated.

It is obvious that other means than the above-n'lentioned ones may beemployed for interposing a stop to the upward movement of the end offinger h when it arrives opposite the end of the track, and to causesaid finger to be tilted, as described-such, for instance, as suspendinga hook to said end of said fing'er, which shall engage with somesuitable stud on the end of tile hopper.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a hopper for screw-blankfeeders with a lifter therein having a slotted finger pivoted at one endthereof, and both capable of a vertical movement within said hopper,combined with a track to convey blanks from said finger, substan tiallyas shown in PatentNo.9,648, of 1853, and said devices are no part of myinvention; but

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- In a screw-blank feeder, thecombination, with the track 6, having its receiving end projecting intothe hopper I), and the slotted finger h, pivoted to the lifter c, of theshort arms 2 5, adapted to engage under said end of track oi,substantially as set forth.

HENRY W. LOOMIS.

\Vitnesses:

It. F. HYDE, R. ORITTENDEN.

